Day 7 | Lairg to Inverness | 133 km

There’s hardly a cloud in the sky this morning as we pack up for our last day of the tour. It’s only been a week since we were in Inverness, but for whatever reason it feels like a long time ago. I suppose it’s because so much has happened since then.

We leave just before 9 and turn south into a headwind. An hour later there is a 5 km climb and a few others here and there, but overall it’s a flat day. Our biggest challenge will be the wind direction.

Since there isn’t a convenient place to stop for a break, Paul parks the van at the side of the road after 40 km and we get a chance to fuel up, then we continue on to Dingwall for a lunch stop at 60 km.

I don’t much feel like a hot lunch today – I’m happy to stick with fruit and granola bars – so after I top up my water bottles I continue on. At this point I have 73 km to go to reach Inverness.

Dates are one of my favourite foods to have in my bike bag. They’re a quick source of sugar and they can be accessed while I’m pedalling if need be.

Much of today’s ride is a headwind with the occasional tailwind if I’m on a twisty road. Our route is the long way to Inverness because it includes the beautiful Black Isle peninsula.

I check in at the Royal Highland Hotel at 3:30, then at 4:30 I make my way down to Johnny Foxes, the arranged meeting place for a celebratory drink on the patio. We’re each given a medal for completing the tour.

Tomorrow we’ll all go our separate ways and take home a stack of great memories from our adventure in the Highlands.